I do apologize for that. I don’t mean any disrespect to Clayton personally. El Bakkali also had an unfortunate wardrobe choice in the Doha steeple, but upon further review it turned out to be half tights and a singlet. I just don’t get why anyone is wearing speed suits for anything over 400m.
I’ve seen sprinters wear speed suits and they never struck me as ridiculous, but the one Clayton was wearing was just not the move. I can understand sprinters wearing speed suits since there is less worry of extra wind resistance from clothes or feeling restricted, but I’d imagine for races 800m and up it would be more uncomfortable than helpful. Maybe it’s just my own personal preference, but I’d prefer a light singlet so that I’m not overheating during a race.
Hey, why stop there? You know what would be fastest of all? Goin' buck-as* naked.
Not so, actually. Wind-tunnel studies have shown that a well-fitting speed suit is faster than going bare.
The effect is more dramatic for swimmers, who face more resistance from water than we face from air, but they're definitely faster with suits than with bare skin.
One of the most surefire ways to let your competitors know that "you mean business" is by wearing a speed suit. It's a mix of aerodynamics and confidence.
If long distance runners are really that worried about aesthetics....then they should pick a different sport.